1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid developer collection apparatus for liquid developers using liquid toner where toner is dispersed in carrier liquid and also to an image forming apparatus adapted to use such liquid developers and such a liquid developer collection apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of arranging a squeezing roller between a development nip and a transfer nip section, applying a bias close to the surface potential of a toner layer after a development process so as not to peel off toner from the toner layer and removing the residual toner floating on a non-image area after the development process is disclosed (see Patent Document 1: JP-2001-228717A).
A method of applying a removal voltage without any leak by selecting a volume resistance not higher than 109Ω for a squeezing roller is also disclosed (see Patent Document 2: JP-2002-287518A).
Additionally, a method of preventing the performance of secondary transfer relative to paper from being degraded as the solid concentration in a liquid developer is raised by squeezing to lower the electric chargeability of lower is also disclosed (see Patent Document 3: JP-2006-30501A).
However, with any of the methods described in the above cited patent documents, toner particles on the image area are lopsidedly drawn to the surface of the corresponding photosensitive member by squeezing and toner particles on the non-image area are forced to float nearer to the surface layer of the toner layer on the photosensitive member than the toner particles on the image area. Additionally, the quantity of carrier on the photosensitive member that is to be removed needs to be limited in order to prevent the electric chargeability of toner particles from being damaged on the photosensitive member as a result of squeezing.